A number of garden plot assignees appear to have others tending their plots, reported Garden Manager Jack O’Connor at the Conservation Commission (ConsCom) meeting on June 24. The garden rules require that, unless there are exceptional circumstances, plots be tended primarily by the person to whom it is assigned.

O’Connor received a range of explanations from the gardeners in question. For example, one assignee is handicapped. He starts the seedlings, then another gardener plants them and tends the plots. Another assignee said he is part of a group of friends who help each other with home and gardening projects.

O’Connor also said there is a lot of anger among some of the gardeners because two people are tending a lot of the plots, and that is not what is meant by a community garden. The ConsCom also raised the question of whether it is appropriate for commercial gardeners to use conservation land to generate income. The board also noted that the implications of not following the rules are unclear.

The ConsCom decided the best next step is to send letters to those not tending their own plots – giving a friendly reiteration of the rules and encouraging them to follow the requirements and be part of the process as they are refined and revised. The board and the Land Stewardship Committee will likely revisit the rules after the end of the current growing season. ∆